Fan mounting



D. E. HARRIS April 16, 1968 FAN MOUNTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 16. 1967 INVENTOR.

DWIGHT E. HARRIS his ATTORNEYS A ril 16, 1968 n. E. HARRIS ,193

FAN MOUNTING iled Jan. 16, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet.

INVENTOR. DWIGHT E. HARRIS his ATTORNEYS United States Patent Oflice 3,378,193 Patented Apr. 16, 1968 3,378,193 FAN MOUNTING Dwight E. Harris, Woodstock, N.Y., assignor to Rotron Manufacturing Company, Inc., Woodstock, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 16, 1967, Ser. No. 609,580 11 Claims. (Cl. 230-473) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fan mounting composed of a base member provided with a retaining slot, spaced-apart mounting legs extending from the fan housing and received in the retaining slot, and a resilient clip, preferably U-sh'aped, positioned in the base member slot and arranged to hold the fan on the base and to resiliently engage the mounting legs to frictionally hold the fan in any of a plurality of tilted positions.

Background of the invention This invention relates to a fan mounting and, more particularly, to a novel and improved 'mounting for fans of relatively small size which permits them to be placed on a floor, table or the like and be tilted up or down to direct an air flow at a predetermined angle.

It is not usual for small fans to be provided with a pivotal mounting of some sort so that the direction of the airstream from the fan can be adjusted to suit the user. Many of these mountings include a locking arrangement, usually having a releasable wing nut or the like, which must be loosened to change the fan position and then tightened to lock it in place. Other mountings rely on resilient elements to provide frictional forces effective to position the fan in any position. In most arrangements known in the art, the mounting structure is often expensive to manufacture and includes a multiplicity of parts which require relatively intricate, time-consuming assembly procedures. Moreover, many mounting arrangements are subject to difliculties or inconveniences in manipulation, to loosening and loss of removable parts, and to breakage of various elements.

Summary of the invention There is provided, in accordance with the invention, a fan mounting which is attractive, inexpensive to fabricate and assemble, requires a minimum of assembly steps, either at the plant or by the purchaser, and is durable and reliable. Moreover, it afiords simple, convenient adjustment by the user, because the only manipulation needed to adjust the fan position is to reorient it in the desired manner; the fan will assume and hold any position to which it has been manually moved without any looking or unlocking procedures by the user.

The fan mounting of the invention, more particularly, comprises a base member which is formed with a retaining slot that receives spaced-apart mounting legs extending from the fan housing. A resilient clip is used to couple the fan to the base. The clip includes elements eugageable with the base to locate and hold the clip in position on the base and resilient portions engageable with the mounting legs on the ttan housing to frictionally hold them with the fan in the desired tilted position. Cooperating formations are provided on the clip and on the mounting legs for retaining the legs in the base member slot, but the formations are so constructed that the fan can be tilted, preferably within a predetermined angle established by stops engageable with the mounting legs, without linear movement occurring between such cooperative formations.

Preferably, the slot in the base includes opposite walls which are disposed in planes parallel to the plane of tilting, and the mounting legs abut those walls to provide lateral retention of the fan while permitting tilting movement in that plane. The base member slot and the mounting legs are provided with coacting shoulder portions for supporting the fan on the base member, the shoulders on either the base or the mounting leg preferably being arcuate with the center of curvature of the arc coinciding with the axis of tilting of the tan.

, The lower portions of the legs are, desirably, formed as an are having its center coincident with the axis of tilting, thereby retaining the legs against linear movement in the direction of the tilting plane and in fact serving to confine the legs and define the tilting axis in the horizontal direction. The coacting shoulders by which the fan is supported define the tilting axis in one direction vertically while the cooperating formations on the clip and on the legs fix the tilting axis in the other vertical direction. The fan is positioned in a direction perpendicular to the plane of tilting by engagement between the parallel walls of the slot and the mounting legs.

The parts making up the fan mounting can readily be made at relatively low cost from suitable materials by conventional casting or molding techniques, while the clip may be stamped out of spring steel. Thus, the parts making up the fan mounting are relatively inexpensive. Moreover, the assembly procedure for mounting the fan on the base involves positioning the mounting legs in the base slot, inserting the clip into the space between the mounting legs by resiliently deflecting them and then pushing the clip up into locked position in which the clip legs will automatically snap into place. Thus, the assembly of the fan mounting is readily accomplished with simple tools.

Brief description of the drawings For a better understanding or the invention, reference may be made to the following description of exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the figures of the accompany-ing drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the fan mounted on the base, the mounting base and mounting arrangement being shown in section taken generally along the lines 1-1 of FIG. 3 and in the direction of the arrows and the upper portion of the fan being shown in elevation;

FIG. 2 is an exploded View showing the parts making up the fan mounting in disassembled positions but oriented in positions in which, if they were moved together, they would be assembled in the manner shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front View in section of the fan mounting of the invention, the view being taken generally along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1 and in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom elevational view of the base with the fan wiring omitted for greater clarity.

Description of an exemplary embodiment In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the fan, which is designated generally by the reference numeral 10, is carried in a generally cylindricalshaped outer housing 12 composed of a center ring-like member 14, preferably made of molded plastic, a rearwardly located mounting piece 16 attached by screws 18 to the member 14 and carrying the fan motor 20 which mounts and drives a fan impeller 22. Front and rear protective grids 24 and 26 are carried by ring elements 28 and 30 attached to the main housing member 14. The specific form of fan shown in the drawings forms no part of the present invention, the fan mounting of the invention being utilizable for various fan designs.

The fan mounting, which is designated generally by the reference numeral 40, is composed of a base 42 which,

in the embodiment shown, is of a type adapted to be placed on a horizontal surface such as a table, a shelf or the like. The base 42 is in the form of a relatively thinwalled member defining a lower cavity and is preferably cast from a suitable metal. The front, back and end Walls of the base are curved to provide an attractive appearance while the upper wall portion 42a is convex in side-section planes and concave in front-section planes so as to form a relatively closely matching cradle for the lower portion of the fan housing 12, but not actually engaging and supporting it, while permitting tilting of the fan forward and back. The bottom of the base 42 is rectangular in plan (see FIG. 4) and receives a cover plate 44 which is suitably secured by screws 46 to corner bosses 48 formed in the corners of the base.

In the center of the base member 42 is a vertically oriented slot which is bounded by downwardly extending flanges 52 cast as an integral part of the base member. The lower portion of the slot (see FIG. 4) is generally rectangular; the front and back upper walls of the slot slope downwardly and inwardly at predetermined angles (FIGS. 1 and 2) and, as will be described below, serve as stops to limit the angle through which the fan can be tilted with respect to the base. The end walls of the slot are parallel (FIG. 3), but the upper parts are set back from the major surfaces of the walls, the set-back portions 52a being formed to define annular shoulders 52b. The shoulders 52b are convex upwardly and have their centers of curvature disposed on an axis, represented generally by the points or lines A shown in the drawings, which is the axis of pivoting about which the fan can be tilted into various positions.

Depending from the lower end of the fan housing member 14 are a pair of spaced-apart mounting legs 54. The legs 54 may, as shown, be formed integrally with the member 12 or they may, of course, be formed separately and then suitably attached to the housing member 12. At the upper and outwardly facing sides of the legs 54 are horizontally disposed, straight shoulders (the dotted line 56 in FIG. 2) which are arranged to rest on the annular shoulders 52b of the slot and carry the weight of the fan. The lower portions 58 of the mounting legs 54 are annular and have a diameter equal to the narrower dimension of the slot 52 so that diametrically opposite points engage the front and back walls of the slot, as best shown in FIG. 1. The centers of curvature of the annular lower portions 58 are coincident with the axis A when the fan is supported in mounted position on the base. The outwardly facing surfaces of the legs 54 closely fit and engage the parallel end walls of the slot 52 so as to support the fan against lateral movement and tilting movement in the lateral direction.

The inwardly facing walls of the mounting legs 54 are generally parallel and have downwardly facing shoulders 60 near their upper ends. In addition, transverse grooves 61 are formed in the legs; the lower edges of the grooves 61 are positioned to be aligned generally on the axis A when the fan is in vertical position on the base.

When the fan is in place on the base, a U-shaped, resilient clip 62 is received in the space between the legs 54 and holds the fan on the base. In particular, the clip 62 includes a lower loop portion 63 having lateral extensions 64 which engage the lower edges of the slot 52 in the base member and leg portions 66 formed with outwardly projecting tabs 68 located to engage the lower edge of the grooves 62 in the fan mounting legs 54. When the clip is unfiexed, the legs 66 diverge from each other so that when the clip is in place, the legs 66 are resiliently urged outwardly into firm frictional engagement with the inner surfaces of the mounting legs 54. As will be described in more detail below, the resiliency of the clip is sufficiently great to provide a frictional force to retain the fan in any of an infinite number of tilted positions but permits the fan to be conveniently moved by hand into a desired position.

The base 42 is provided with various auxiliary features such as provision for receiving an operating switch 70, a speed controlling resistor 72, an electrical plug and cord 67 and the electrical wiring (not shown) forming the power and control circuits for the fan.

The assembly of the fan on the base is completed quickly and easily by first inserting the mounting legs 54 on the fan housing member 12 into the slot 52 in the base 42 and then merely pressing the legs 66 of the clip 62 toward each other so that their upper ends can enter the space between the mounting legs 54. The resiliency of the clip, coupled with the sloping upper and outer surfaces of the tabs 68, permits the clip to be pushed upwardly into the space until the tabs snap out over the lower edge of the locking grooves 61 on the mounting legs. The fan may then be wired into the control circuit, which may have previously been partially completed, or all of the wiring can be performed after the fan is in place on the base. Finally, the lower base plate 44 is readily installed.

In operation, the fan rests on the base by engagement of the shoulders 56 on the outer surfaces of the mounting legs 54 on the companion annular shoulders 52b in the end walls of the base slot 42. The fan is retained on the base by engagement of the tabs 68 on the clip 62 with the grooves 61 in the mounting legs 54, while the clip in turn is retained against upward movement by engagement of its lower extensions 64 with the lower edges of the slot walls. Lateral movement and lateral tilting of the fan on the base are prevented by engagement between the end walls of the base slot and the outer surfaces of the mounting legs 54. Front and back displacement of the fan on the base is precluded by engagement of diametrical points on the lower annular portions 58 of the legs with the front and back walls of the slot 52.

The tilting of the fan into any of an infinite number of angular positions with the predetermined limit angles established by the upper inclined front and back surfaces of the slot is accomplished by merely moving the fan manually into the desired position; no unlocking and relocking of a thumb screw or other releasable holding device is required. As mentioned above, the resiliency of the clip is established such that frictional engagement between the legs of the clip and the inner surfaces of the mounting legs 54 provides force sufficient to hold the fan in any position to which it is adjusted. The tilting of the fan is about the axis A and is afforded by the annular shape of the supporting shoulder 52b and of the lower portions 58 of the mounting legs 54. Moreover, the tabs 63 on the clip are formed with generally pointed ends so that there is essentialy point engagement between them and the legs 54, rather than line engagement. The points of engagement of the tabs with the legs 54 lie on the pivotal axis A of the fan.

It will be understood that the above-described embodiment of the invention is merely exemplary and that those skilled in the art will be able to make numerous variations and modifications of it without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mounting structure for a fan comprising a base member having a retaining slot, spaced-apart mounting legs extending from the fan housing and receivable in the retaining slot, the legs and slot being formed to permit tilting of the fan relative to the base in at least one plane, and a resilient clip, the clip including means engageable with the base member for locating and holding the clip in a fixed position thereon and means resiliently engageable with the mounting legs on the fan housing to frictionally engage and hold the legs with the fan in any of its tilted positions, and means including cooperative formations on the clip and the mounting legs for retaining the mounting legs in the retaining slot while permitting them to pivot about the tilting axis of the fan.

2. A fan mounting structure according to claim 1 wherein the retaining means includes cooperative formations on the clip and on the mounting legs engageable with each other solely at substantially the axis of tilting of the fan, whereby tilting movement of the fan is afforded without relative linear movement between the said cooperative holding formations.

'3. A fan mounting structure according to claim 1 wherein the slot in the base member includes opposite walls disposed in planes parallel to the plane of tilting and the mounting legs abut those walls to provide lateral retention of the fan while permitting the tilting movement of the fan in the said plane of tilting.

4. A fan mounting structure according to claim 1 wherein the base member slot and the fan mounting legs include coacting shoulders for supporting the fan on the base member, at least one of the said shoulders being arcuate with its center of curvature being coincident with the axis of tilting.

5. A fan mounting structure according to claim 1 wherein the lower portions of the legs define an are having its center coincident with the axis of tilting of the fan, and the slot includes wall portions engaging the arouate lower leg portions to locate the axis of tilting and to position the legs against linear movement in directions transverse to the axis of tilting.

6. A mounting structure for a fan comprising a base member having walls defining a retaining slot including opposite spaced-apart parallel walls; spaced-apart mounting legs extending from the fan housing and receivable in the retaining slot with their respective outer surfaces engaging the said parallel walls, the legs having lower arcuate portions engageable with portions of the slot and having centers of curvature defining an axis of tilting about which the fan pivots in a tilting plane through a multiplicity of positions; and a clip element in the form of a generally U-shaped band formed of resilient material having portions engageable with the base member to locate the clip in a fixed position thereon and spaced legs resiliently engaging the mounting legs on the fan housing with an outward force sufficient to frictionally hold the fan in any of its tilted positions; and cooperating means on the clip legs and the mounting legs of the fan for retaining the mounting legs in the retaining slot.

7. A mounting structure according to claim 6 wherein the retaining means includes cooperative formations on the clip and on the mounting legs engageable with each other solely at substantially the axis of tilting of the fan, whereby tilting movement of the fan is afforded without relative linear movement between said cooperative formations.

8. A fan mounting structure according to claim 7 wherein the said cooperating formations include tab elements extending outwardly from the clip legs, and recesses formed in the mounting legs receiving the tab elements and defining a shoulder facing the tab located substantially on the axis of tilting, the tabs having a tip engaging the said shoulder at substantially a point.

9. A fan mounting structure according to claim 6 wherein the base member slot and the mounting legs include companion shoulders by which the fan is supported by the base member for tilting movement relative thereto, at least one of the shoulders lbeing arcuate with its center of curvature substantially coincident with the axis of tilting of the fan.

10. A fan mounting structure according to claim 6 wherein the slot walls include oppositely located angularly related portions engageable by the mounting legs to restrict the angle through which the fan can be tilted.

11. A fan mounting structure according to claim 6 wherein the slot includes lower shoulders, and wherein the U-shaped clip includes a body portion at the loop of the U having outwardly extending portions engageable with the lower shoulders of the slot to locate and hold the clip in position on the mounting base.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS LAURENCE V. EFNER, Primary Examiner. 

